1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that are used to hold bars of soap and fragments of bars of soap. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that hold a bar of soap while a person is washing with the bar of soap.
2. Prior Art Description
Soap, by its nature, is slippery and difficult to hold. Furthermore, as a bar of soap wears away, it has a tendency to become soft as the soap becomes saturated with water. This makes the bar of soap feel like paste, rather than a bar of soap. Furthermore, as the soap wears away, it often becomes too small to hold effectively. What remains are small fragments of soap. As a result, many people throw away soap when it becomes too small or too soft. This wastes soap.
In the prior art, there are many devices that are intended to hold bars of soap. Some of these devices are simple porous bags that surround the bar of soap. Such prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,759 to Ogilvie, entitled Soap-Holding Bag. Other prior art devices have soap holders that are attached to handles and straps so that the bar of soap becomes easier to hold and manipulate during bathing. Such prior art soap holders are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,742 to Corn, entitled Device For Use In Washing The Back Of A Person; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,473,044 to Collins, entitled Soap Holder And Body Washing Device Including Gripping Strap And Associated Methods.
A problem associated with such prior art soap holding devices is that the bar of soap is placed in a pocket. The pocket may be drawn closed with a string, but a small opening inevitably exists. This opening widens as the soap holding device is manipulated during washing. As the bar of soap becomes small and/or gets soft, the soap tends to exit the soap holding device through the opening of the pocket. As such, some soap gets wasted.
A need therefore exists for a system and method for retaining soap in a holder, so that a bar of soap is easy to grasp and use throughout the entire life of the bar of soap. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.